Posted By Patrick Saunders On March 3, 2013 @ 4:57 pm In Cactus League Games,Rockies Recap,Spring Training | No Comments

At Salt River Fields

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — There’s no getting around it, Jorge De La Rosa was awful in his second outing of spring.

The lefty, hoping to make a strong return in his first full season after Tommy John elbow surgery in June 2011, lacked command from the outset and had catcher Wilin Rosario scrambling behind the plate. In 1 2/3 innings, De La Rosa gave up one run on two hits, walked three and hit a batter with the bases full.

After two early outings, his ERA stands at 7.36.

Manager Walt Weiss sounded unconcerned and is willing to give De La Rosa plenty of time to find his way.

“We will have patience with Jorge because he hasn’t been out there much for the last year and a half or so,” Weiss said. “We are counting on him, and he knows that. We have another month to go, so we aren’t going to get too carried away. It wasn’t really pretty, but again, he’s got some time.”

HITS: Third-base prospect Nolan Arenado is on a rampage and making sure the Rockies give him a real chance to make the 25-man roster. He hit his third homer of spring, and his second in two days, with a solo shot to left in the second inning.

MISSES: Right-hander Tyler Chatwood was actually wilder than De La Rosa. He plunked two batters with the bases loaded, and also walked two, in the A’s three-run third. He settled down after that, setting down seven in a row to finish his day.

“I think it’s about getting through your innings and bouncing back” said Chatwood, who has made it clear his goal is to be a starter, though he could end up in the bullpen. “As a starter, you can’t let one bad inning get to you because you have to go back for five or six more innings.”

UP NEXT: The Rockies travel west to Peoria to play the Mariners. Juan Nicasio, coming off a strong two-inning performance, is scheduled to start for Colorado. The Mariners are scheduled to start Jon Garland.